Can



C. W. GRAHAM.

CAN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 1916.

1,382,501, PatentedJungZl, 1921.

WIT/V588 IN VE/V TOR A TTORIVEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES w. GRAHAM, 0E cREsTwooD, N W YORK, AssIeNoR T 0 AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0E NEW JERSEY.

CAN.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES WV. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grestwood, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cans, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a hermetic can seal, produced without the use of solder, and preferably by the aid of an interposed liner or gasket, of paper or equivalent material, the flanges of the can cover and body being held together to form such hermetic seam by a U-shaped sealing strip which embraces said flanges between its upper and lower members, this sealing strip being either wound around the can and the flanges thereof and being bysuch winding operation converted from straight form to an annular form, or being preliminarily formed of annular shape and then sprung over the said flanges and clamped down thereupon with sufficient pressure to form the hermetic, seal. The said sealing strip is of metal of such malleable character as to permit of the said operation and as to preserve the set which is imparted to it in the sealing operation,

and also as to permit the strip to be unwound from the flanges without difliculty, when the can is to be opened[ The covers of cans of this character are formed with a vertical wall or shoulder which is seated within the mouth of the can body in contact with the Walls thereof, to permit the cover and the flanges to be firmly grasped and pressed by the sealing instrumentalities. When such cans are processed there is often a severe internal pressure eiier'ted on the cover which tends to press it outward and draw it away from the walls of the 'body, and which also tends to displace Lthe cover flange from its proper sealed position within the sealing strip; and the present invention has for one of its objects to hold the flange of the cover properly in place notwithstanding such internal pressure. To this end a portion of the cover is caused to abut against a. portion of the body flange at the outer side of the latter, so that any tendency of the cover flange. to be drawn or to move inwardly is directly opposed by the body flange; also the formation of the cover flange which enables it to have such abutting function incloses and protects the ring liner or gasket and aids Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21, 1921.

5, 1916. Serial No. 76,341.

in maintaining the latter in its proper position on the cover flange while the cover is transported or handled prior to the sealing of the can.

lVith such objects in view, as well as other advantages which may be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportions and arrangement without departing from the nature of the invention.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood there are shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limit- 1ng the improvements, in their useful applicat ons, to the particular constructions which; for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of, illustration. In the said drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view at one end and corner of the can body and cover, showing portions of the same, the parts being separated.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the cover applied to the body, showing also the sealing strip about to be applied to inclose the cover and body flanges.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the parts clamped together in sealing position.

Fig, 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but embodying a modification in which the inner edge of the upper member of the sealing strip extends somewhat over the vertical shoulder of the cover so as to obtain a hold thereon.

Fig. 5 is a pla'nview of the sealed can, iihe'parts being in the position indicated in Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the can body formed at its mouth with'an outstanding peripheralfiange 2. 3 is the .cover formed with a depressed central portion 4, a vertical wall 5, and an outstanding flange 6 corresponding with the body flange 2 and formed with a downwardly bent peripheral rim, ledge or lip 7 at the outer margin of the flange 6, which lip extends down sufficiently to abut against the outer edge of the body flange 2, so as to hold the cover flange from horizontal inward movement relative to the body flange.

8 indicates the packing interposed between the flanges 2 and 6 and shown as applied to the under side of the cover flange 6. This last described arrangement is advantageous The packing 8 is indicated as a paper ring liner, but it may be of other material and formation'so long as it attains the primary object of producing a hermetic seal.

9 indicates the sealing strip formed of substantially U-shape so as to have upper and lower flanges or clamping members 10-and 11. This sealing strip-is preferablyapplied of suflicient length so that its ends will overla somewhat, as shown at 12 in Fig. 5.

The inner edge of the member 10 may be extended downward, as shown at 13 in Fig. 4, so as. to lap slightly over or within the cover shoulder 5, thereby obtaining a hold upon the cover which cooperates with the engagement of the lip 7 against the outer edge of the body flange to hold the cover flange securely within the hermetic seal notwithstanding the severe internal pressure within thecan during processing.

What is claimed is;

In a can, the combination of a can body having an outstanding seam flange, a can cover having a longer outstanding seam flange the extreme outer part of which is bent downward to form a short downward extension the edge of which is downwardly gasket arranged between the body flange and the under side of the cover flange, and a sealing strip compressing vertically together said cover flange and body flange I and interposed gasket.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

CHARLES W. GRA AM. 

